Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is the fourth smallest country in the world. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. Tuvalu is a group of nine tiny islands in the South Pacific which won independence from the United Kingdom in 1978.
Five of the islands are coral atolls; the other four consists of land rising from the sea bed. The closest neighbours are Solomon Islands in the west, Kiribati in north, Samoa in the east, and Fiji in the south.
The total land area of the islands of Tuvalu is 26 square kilometres. Life on the islands is simple, and often harsh. There are no streams or rivers, so the collection of rain is essential. Copra – dried coconut kernel – is practically the only export commodity.
The currencies widely used are the Tuvaluan dollar and the Australian dollar. The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians. On 5th September 2000, Tuvalu became the 189th member of the United Nations.